How Microlearning and Just-In-Time Training Can Improve Nurse Care Training
According to a 2016 survey, the turnover rate for nurses has increased from 16.4% in 2014 to the current 17.2%, which means more nurses are transferring to a different hospital or clinic, especially nurses assigned to the emergency, surgical, and behavioral health divisions. Experts explain that bite-sized training – or microlearning – may encourage nurses to maintain their jobs (and enjoy them).
A medical facility loses thousands of dollars for every bedside nurse who resigns. Hospitals report a vacancy rate of at least 10% affecting the levels of patient care, performance, and efficiency of a medical facility. The more important question is: why are nurses leaving?
Why Nurses Leave
In a separate survey by the American Nursing Association, two main reasons were found for the high turnover. Firstly , new nurses report a lack of training and orientation from their superiors, resulting in the nurses’ resignation within months of getting the job. The second cause is the large number of nurses retiring, or about to retire.
What is Microlearning, and How Can it Help?
Microlearning is a new trend that breaks down information and training into smaller, easily digestible parts. The end result is more efficient absorption of the information and better comprehension, without affecting the busy schedules of the trainees.
“Micro-learning enhances knowledge and confidence, covers topics that can be explained briefly, reinforces training and meets the nurses’ need for just-in-time training for specific procedures.”
Quick Facts about Microlearning
A series of brief web-based videos can be accessed on nurses’ smartphones.
The nurses are not required to sit in classrooms for training seminars. They can instead watch the short videos between their hospital tasks.
Nurses can pace their training and stay on a module longer if necessary.
The use of video training results in 65% more information retention than the usual 10% for lectures and manuals.
According to Shift Learning, microlearning costs 50% less, as compared to traditional sit-in seminars.
Micro-learning and just-in-time training are best used to :
- Enhance knowledge and confidence
- Cover topics that can be explained briefly
- Reinforce training
- Meet nurses’ need for just-in-time training for specific procedures
“The training videos can further enhance memory recall, proper bedside response, and interaction with doctors, other medical professionals, and patients’ family members.”
Benefits of Micro-learning and Just-in-Time-Training
- Instantly accessible information which saves time from having to scour the Internet or thick manuals
- Addresses individual training needs
- Easily updated
- Adaptable to the needs of nurses
- Easily fits into nurses’ busy schedules
- Easily customized
- Encourages interaction among nurses, which promotes learning
The training videos can further enhance memory recall and proper bedside response, as well as interaction with doctors, other medical professionals, and patients’ family members. In addition, these videos promote the concept of interleaving – an evaluation and learning technique that organizes a variety of information in unexpected ways for better comprehension and retention; thus, empowering busy nurses because it makes learning new techniques and nursing skills doable and convenient.
Microlearning works because it instills self-discipline while making training easier to manage for both nurses and Chief Nursing Officers. These modules are also flexible in that nurse feedback can be used to improve the videos, track performance and progress, and augment other support services.
“Microlearning works because it instills self-discipline, while making training easier to manage for both nurses and chief nursing officers.”
The trend among the new workforce is just-in-time training—a result of the fast-paced world in which we live, where information is accessible instantly. This tends to encourage a short attention span, which is why microlearning is so effective.
Article Sources:
- Shift Disruptive ELearning
http://journals.lww.com/journalpatientsafety/Pages/default.aspx - Strategic Programs Inc
http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Reports/1999/To-Err-is-Human-Building-A-Safer-Health-System.aspx
